Morocco is colourful and exotic, distinctly foreign and yet not too far away. Simon Calder, travel editor of the Independent newspaper has visited Morocco five times in the last 15 months.
‘Whenever I step off a plane in Tangier or Casablanca or Marrakesh.’ says Simon ‘I think I am in some exotic long-haul destination yet it has been less than three hours flying time from the UK. Morocco has colour and vibrancy. It’s accessible and cheap. Prices have come down in the last few years.’
If you have never visited Morocco, you can get a taster on holiday on the Costa del Sol or Costa del la Luz by taking a fast ferry from Tarifa to Tangier, one of the great port cities of the world. Wander round the souk, meet the people, or just look at the beach. It’s all very civilized with fantastic food and drink
Travel writer Andrew Eames says Casablanca sounds very romantic but isn’t. Simon disagrees and, although the city is the commercial hub of Morocco, he likes its corniche and thinks the coastal strip has great beaches and is a good place to relax. He recommends Rick’s café. It was built long after the film was made!
The main Moroccan beach resort is Agadir. It is not the prettiest place in the world. It faces the Atlantic and has quite rough seas at times but the beach is beautiful and the hotels are high quality. Up the coast, Essaouira used to be a hippy hang-out. Now it’s the most beautiful, shimmering Atlantic town with a fishing port feel to it. It’s relaxed and easy going with some great places to stay and it’s still slightly off the map.
Marrakech is a great city. The Jema El Fna comes alive at sundown with food stalls, magicians and street performers. You can look down at the square from restaurants that have superb, freshly cooked food. You can stay in either good modern hotels or Riads – converted old town houses.
From Marrakech it’s just a 45-minute drive to the Atlas Mountains and the tallest mountain in North Africa. So much to explore and it’s relatively easy to do, says Simon.
Be warned: as a Western tourist in Morocco people will want to chat with you and sell you something. Morocco can be a little rough and ready. And if you’re looking for the very highest standards then Morocco may not be the place. However standards are improving all the time.
So will Morocco rival Spain one day? The beaches are not quite as beautifully kept as the Spanish beaches. However what they do have is an incredible cultural richness in their cities which, according to Simon. is something to celebrate. It’s going to be a different kind of tourism to Spain, more adventurous and warm and welcoming in every sense.
Simon Calder, Travel Writer
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